The present invention relates generally to the field of fuel cells and more particularly to fuel cell systems integrated with carbon dioxide removal components.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices which can convert energy stored in fuels to electrical energy with high efficiencies. High temperature fuel cells include solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cells. These fuel cells may operate using hydrogen and/or hydrocarbon fuels. There are classes of fuel cells, such as the solid oxide regenerative fuel cells, that also allow reversed operation, such that oxidized fuel can be reduced back to unoxidized fuel using electrical energy as an input.
An article by M. P. Kang and J. Winnick, entitled “Concentration of carbon dioxide by a high-temperature electrochemical membrane cell”, Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Vol. 15, No. 3 (1985) 431-439, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a molten carbonate fuel cell that is converted into a molten carbonate carbon dioxide concentrator for carbon dioxide removal. The authors report carbon dioxide removal efficiencies of 97% for carbon dioxide inlet concentrations of 0.25%.